Plaid Cymru's Adam Price drops anti-Brexit stance to call for Wales to seize 'new opportunities'
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, who took a strong anti-Brexit position before the General Election, now says Wales should seize "new opportunities" created by leaving the European Union.
His comments signify not just a significant shift in the party's previous position but also the apparent dropping of its planned future policy to campaign for an independent Wales to rejoin the EU.
In a speech in Cardiff, Adam Price is expected to say that there's 'little point' in fighting the battles of the last three years and instead wants to turn attention to potential gains, such as increased powers for the Assembly and more flexibility to help businesses without limitations set by Brussels.
"We weren’t all leavers but we are all leaving now and there is little point in continuing to rehearse these arguments or fighting yesterday’s battles", said Price.
"That, to me, is emblematic of the future facing Wales. It is the Red Dragon of Wales that will be taking back control, and if Plaid Cymru has anything to do with it, eventually setting us on a new course."
Plaid Cymru is insisting this is a significant shift in position and it's a remarkably different tone and attitude to that which the party has struck since 2016.
Most notable, however, is the absence of a commitment to campaign to rejoin the European Union. In interviews before the election Adam Price repeatedly said that an independent Wales would seek to become part of the EU and the party's 2019 manifesto states that "Plaid Cymru believes that Wales should become an independent member of the European Union."
If Adam Price's speech means that commitment has been dropped, that will be an even bigger change than the new enthusiasm for post-Brexit opportunities.